Grow Q&A: Should I Make Seeds or Take Clones?

Dear Dan, Hey I hope this isn’t a dumb question but I have 6 Grape Krush beans from the one and only DJ Short that I understand are discontinued. If I grow them out and pick out the best looking male and let it breed with the ladies will I have true Grape Krush beans or just a ton of god only knows what kind of seeds? Thank you. I’ve had terrible luck when it comes to cloning is why I ask. I was hoping to have a few left out of 100 of my beautiful Grape Krushes. It was easy to grow and I just loved the high and I don’t want to blow my last 6 seeds, Please help the shitty cloner! – Brian C.

Dear Brian,
It’s quite likely that if you cross a random male Grape Krush plant with a random GK female, you’ll get a mishmash of genetic behavior in the offspring that’s not likely to present you with a good keeper mother plant. You’re better off picking a nice female out of the seeds you’ve already got than gambling on an amateur breeding project. All you need is a better cloning regimen, and you’ll have your beloved Grape Krush buds for as long as you want to continue growing them out.

The easiest and cheapest way to get cloning is to purchase a cloning tray with the medium of your choice. I prefer organic mediums such as peat pellets, or better yet filling up the little individual seedling inserts with a moist soilless mix. Rockwool works fine fpr hydroponic and other non-organic applications. Be sure to get a tray with a clear plastic dome and invest in an electronic heat mat to place underneath your tray.

The two most important factors in cloning are heat and humidity. You must maintain both at levels higher than room temperature and typical indoor moisture levels. The heat mat will help greatly and the medium that your clones will root in must be kept moist at all times. I find that 4’ or 8’ long fluorescent fixtures, designed specifically for growing plants, kept at a distance of just an inch or two above the trays work best.

Slice your clones with a sharp non-serrated blade just below a node and then remove that node and the node above it. You want at least 2-3 sets of leaves remaining above your cut so make them 2-3 inches long minimum. Gently insert them into pre-prepped holes in your medium up to an inch. Some people trim remaining fan leaves down but it’s not necessary. Keep them lit, moist and warm and you’ll master cloning in no time.

Have a grow question? Ask away at deardanko@hightimes.com